An Interview with the DJ Team : MEN

Born from the fabulous trio LeTigre, MEN is an amazingly popular electronica/new-wave/punk act known for its highly political lyrics, dealing with issues of feminism and community. Bluntly, MEN is a DJ team like no other. Mixing social commentary, raw sounds and fresh licks. MEN is an experience that will make you sweaty on the dance floor-then thinking and humming for hours. ASSOCIATED CONTENT jawed with JD Samson and Johanna Fateman, the women behind MEN.

ASSOCIATED CONTENT: With only women members, why call the group MEN?
JOHANNA FATEMAN: First of all, for all the jokes that we find endlessly entertaining: "MEN are DJing tonight. MEN have been topping the charts for weeks," etc. I think the best humor underscores what is pathetic about our culture. . . In this case the enduring exclusion/tokenization of women at all levels of the music industry. It also serves as a reminder to demand what we deserve. After all, we're MEN!

ASSOCIATED CONTENT: What was the motivator to go from LeTigre to MEN?
JOHANNA FATEMAN: It's hard to explain exactly how these things happen. Le Tigre has
been on an extended hiatus and JD and I were both doing remixes...JD was DJing a lot, and then we started DJing together. Then we were in an airport together and decided on a name: MEN! We did some mash-ups and remixes as MEN, and then we thought it would be more interesting to write new songs. So we started working on original tracks. It was an unplanned occurrence that we cultivated.

ASSOCIATED CONTENT: What does MEN say that LeTigre doesn't? Or vice-versa?
JD SAMSON: MEN say no a lot. And, they ask for more money when they want it. They also ask for Reeses Peanut Butter cups and grape juice on the rider.

ASSOCIATED CONTENT: Help us public school kids understand the term "electro-feminist performance artists " ...
JOHANNA FATEMAN: [Laughs] Well, that's actually a phrase from a skit that kicks off
the Le Tigre song TGIF on our album "Feminist Sweepstakes" and it's kind of a derisive label used by a clueless and sexist office supervisor to ridicule his feminist artist/band-member employee. So it's a category that doesn't make a lot of sense, but in Le Tigre we've come to proudly own that description as a band.

ASSOCIATED CONTENT: When and where was MEN's first performance?
JD SAMSON: We first came together for a DJ set at the Museum of Contemporary Art in LA in the spring 2006. We played all night under the stars for a feminist show, playing only women's voices and had the crowd of feminist artists doing conga lines. It ruled. We decided that it seemed right to transition into a new project through DJing together and had an amazing time on our first mini-tour.

ASSOCIATED CONTENT: What do you each bring unique to MEN?
JOHANNA FATEMAN: Hmmm, well I'm taller so I reach for things that are up high. JD is smaller, so she gets things when someone needs to crawl through a tight space.

JD SAMSON: JO brings the thunder. JD brings the lightning.

ASSOCIATED CONTENT: Anything special planned for your performance here?
JOHANNA FATEMAN Big plans to make everybody dance! We are on tour with Hey
Willpower! who are great friends and a great dance-pop phenomenon. Also, we are taking requests. So please Myspace us with your favorite tracks and special dedications so we can come prepared. We've been to Philadelphia many times (not as MEN though) and we always have a great time.

ASSOCIATED CONTENT: Who bugs the shit out of you? What is the worst trend in the music/DJ scene right now?
JD SAMSON: When you talk shit about someone it really means you are talking shit about yourself. That is our new MEN theory. If you have fun and make other people have fun then that's what life is about. We like originality and we like people who are friendly and care about their community.

ASSOCIATED CONTENT: If you couldn't be making music - what would you want to be?
JOHANNA FATEMAN Well, I already moonlight, or daylight, I guess, as the proprietor/receptionist of a beauty parlor: SEAGULL in NY's West
Village. I also love to paint and write and sometimes I daydream about being a courtroom stenographer, a life coach, or a highly paid consultant of some kind. And JD and I want to be on the Amazing Race.

JD SAMSON: I have always wanted to be a pediatrician. It might be too late. But if I'm going to be 50, I might as well be 50 and a doctor, right?